Gonzaga University
Portland
Gonzales' Stellar Performance Helps Zags Sweep Pilots
5/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. - Freshman Marco Gonzales pitched his fourth complete-game and helped the offense late in the game going 2-for-2 as a five-run eighth-inning gave the Gonzaga University baseball team a 5-2 win over the University of Portland Monday.
The Bulldogs (29-14-1, 12-3 WCC) complete the three-game West Coast Conference sweep after the series finale was postponed Sunday due to inclement weather.
In what was a pitching duel throughout the game, Gonzales (9-2) struck out seven and allowed two runs on six hits while his pitching opponent Chris Johnson (2-5) struck out six but allowed five runs after seven innings of work.
The Bulldogs also got a pair of hits from Steven Halcomb and Tyler Chism, who extended his hitting streak to a team-best 14 games. Cameron Edman saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-4.
The Pilots (17-28, 6-9 WCC) led off the first inning with a single to center field and after the next two batters retired, a pair of back-to-back singles and two costly errors by Billy Moon and Edman gave the Pilots a 2-0 lead.
Johnson retired 21 of 24 Bulldogs but his 2-0 lead vanished in the eighth when he surrendered three consecutive singles by Andy Hunter, Gonzales and Halcomb. Eric Lane drove in the Bulldogs first run of the game with a walk and Chism and Moon hit back-to-back two-run doubles to give the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead.
The Bulldogs looked to add more in the ninth when Gonzales hit a one-out double to right field and advanced to third on Halcomb's fly out to center field. Lane laid down a squeeze bunt to third base but was put out on the play.
Gonzales retired the Pilots in order in the ninth to secure the Bulldogs sixth straight WCC win.
The Bulldogs will step out of conference play for the final time of the regular-season as they head to Eugene, Ore., to face the University of Oregon in a two-game series starting Tuesday at 6 p.m.
